Originally from Mallow, Detective Noel Browne will complete his service on Sunday, July 4 and is already looking forward to spending more time with his family and friends.

Garda Browne has worked in Killarney since 1981 and would be due to complete 33 years on the beat in December.

But instead of waiting, he has decided to retire five months early to get his retirement off to a good start in the summer sunshine.

Having graduated from Templemore in 1972, his first posting was to Monaghan where he spent six years.

He moved to Rathmore in June 1978 and spent three years in what was then a small rural Kerry garda station and a big change from life in Monaghan

When I was in Monaghan in the early 70s it was a big station. There were 10 or 12 gardaí and it was a bit of a shock moving to a small rural garda station where there was just myself, another garda and a sergeant, he recalled..

You tended to be on your own a lot, doing things alone, he added..

Garda Browne was transferred to Killarney in 1981 and joined the detective branch.

I have been working as the Immigration and Register of Aliens officer and at Kerry Airport as well.

It s a job that has kept very busy in recent years, dealing with a influx of non nationals, particularly the migrant working community that have made Killarney their home.

There has been a mass of non EU nationals arriving in the county. The vast majority of them arrive with work permits but they have to be registered here and renew it on a yearly basis, Detective Browne said.

Kerry has become a real multi-cultural society in the last five to ten years, he added.

Over the last four years he has dealt with more than 2,000 non-nationals in the Killarney area with an additional 1,500 to 2,000 before he took over.

When my predecessor Frank Considine left, I decided to take over. I felt like I had a bit of a flair for it, Detective Browne revealed.

The first year and a half were tough going but after that I really enjoyed it, the Killarney garda said. It s really busy but there are some funny moments. I get called everything and anything from Mister Noel, Mister Niall and Mister Detective, he joked.

But, that said, the vast majority of the people I deal with are most respectful and their employers will tell you the same thing, he stressed..

Garda Browne is passing the Immigration and Register of Aliens reigns to Garda John Tynan who has just moved from Castleisland.

I suppose I will miss it alright. There is great camaraderie in the job, particularly in a time of crisis when we all stick together and help out, he said..

But with just weeks left on the job soon Garda Browne can soon concentrate on enjoying his retirement with his wife, Catherine, son Niall and his three daughters Maria, Karen and Linda who is set to get married in October.

He is also looking forward to spending more time with his two granddaughters, twins Leona and Ciara, who are three-and-a-half years old.

I still haven t really decided what I am going to do during my retirement but for the moment I think I will just take things easy, a bit of golfing, walking and cycling, he said. 

<-- Go Back